National Service Project Proposals

Once every two years, the AMA-MSS chooses a new National Service Project (NSP) around which we focus our community service activities for the following two years. The MSS selected Healthy Lifestyles to Reduce Obesity as our NSP for 2004-2006. Now, it is time to select our NSP for 2006-2008 and we want your ideas!

Below are the four proposals that were submitted for the 2006-08 NSP. We want to know what YOU think our next National Service Project should be so please cast your vote! (You must be an AMA member to vote.) Results will be posted on this Web page and announced in eVoice in late May. If you have any questions, please contact the MSS.

Blow Away Drunk Driving
The ultimate goal of this service project is to eradicate drunk driving in the United States by implementing a technology solution that would not allow an individual to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The goals of this project will realized by following a three phase approach that includes 1) national legislation that requires breathalyzer interlock devices on DUI offender’s automobiles, 2) work with automotive and insurance companies to provide incentives for customers to utilize these breathalyzer interlock devices, and 3) local education at restaurant and bar establishments to help patrons know when they should not drive by using portable breathalyzer devices.
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Covering the Uninsured and Protecting Access to Care
As students, we are the conscience of organized medicine. Through the AMA’s partnerships with organizations like the Robert Wood Johnson, we can maximize coverage for children and families by working to enroll them in public insurance programs. Because we are in the medical education system, we can use our medical schools’ infrastructure to educate our peers, our patients, and even our teachers about the growing crisis of the uninsured and the many proposed solutions. We can work to change our schools’ curricula to develop culturally competent physicians who feel a duty to treat the health system as well as individual patients. We can work through the AMA and our state medical societies to lobby governments for comprehensive health system reform and to protect funding for community clinics, public assistance programs, and scholarship programs like the National Health Service Corps. In the next two years, America will be forced to confront the failings in our health care system. As the future of medicine, we should lead the call for change with our service and advocacy.
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Diabetes Awareness and Education
The goals of this project are for the AMA-MSS to increase public awareness and education about diabetes through various service projects. The projects would focus on pre-diabetes risk factors and prevention, and education on how to manage your diabetes to prevent and/or delay complications. Through these projects, the AMA-MSS will impact the future of diabetes in two major ways: 1) increased education will (hopefully) lead to decreased prevalence, complications and deaths due to diabetes; 2) as a direct result of 1) there would be an expected decrease in healthcare costs due to Diabetes.
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Reducing the Risk: Preventing Drug Abuse and Addiction
Drug abuse and addiction hurts individuals, families, friends, and society. We all must become more comfortable understanding the topic, discussing it with others, and providing adequate support for individuals and their caregivers struggling with this problem. The greatest difference we can make, particularly as medical students, is emphasizing prevention. If you have ever known someone who has suffered from abuse or addiction—and chances are you do—then you know why this issue is important enough to be considered for the 2006-2008 AMA-MSS National Service Project.
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